Oct 19, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley during the second half Southern California Trojans at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Maryland head coach Mike Locksley listed on 'Warm Seat' ahead of 2025 season

Originally posted on Maryland Terrapins on SI
By Brandon Walker | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 3:39 PM ET

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman has spotlighted Maryland Coach Mike Locksley as one of 14 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches potentially facing heightened job pressure heading into the season.

Locksley, 55, is heading into his seventh season at Maryland, coming off a 4-8 record with a 1-8 record in Big Ten conference play (the only win was a 29-28 win over USC at home) after three straight postseason bowl victories. Purdue was the only school to change coaches this offseason, so he is the only Big Ten coach on the list.

Via The Athletic:

"Locksley’s seat isn’t as warm actually as many might think. According to sources inside the program, Locksley is so well-respected locally and has built up so much goodwill in his time there that they will be patient with him to try to get things headed back in the right direction."

Locksley's job security is in question following a disappointing season, which included a 37-10 home loss to Northwestern and his own admission of losing locker room control over NIL and playing time issues. Although Locksley says those problems are resolved and he's focused on the new season, last year's performance has put him under scrutiny.

Despite appearing on Feldman’s list, Locksley contends his job is more secure than widely assumed, describing his status as warm rather than hot.

Feldman reports that, according to program sources, Locksley’s respected local reputation and the goodwill he has built are factors that may allow him more time to turn the program around than many expect.

What’s working for him is that he has just brought in the second-highest ranked recruiting class in program history (the 2025 recruiting class) and has secured a top national recruit, Zion Elee, committed to stay home to play at Maryland. While Maryland faces Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan this year, it does avoid playing Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State this coming season, and bowl eligibility is a reasonable expectation for Maryland in 2025. He also has two new coordinators with NFL experience in offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and defensive coordinator Ted Monachino.

Locksley has the full support of new athletic director Jim Smith, but with a similar showing to 2024, that may change.

This article first appeared on Maryland Terrapins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: